China's Congress Opens With Corruption Warning

11/7/2012 11:44PM

The Communist Party's 18th National Congress has begun marking the country's official transition of power. The WSJ's Brian Spegele tells us why this year President Hu Jintao wasted no time warning the country about corruption.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

I ... the the ... each Friday Congress has ... changed with a speech by President Hu Jintao I'm Deborah con joining me now reporter Brian Spegele ... at a bright and I'm aside from really highlighting China's economic goals when any surprises in this beach ... what you said you put in twelve games of the work report of the of the commoners party over the past five years ... during this speech upgrade all the people on Thursday ... the speech read about an hour and forty minutes ... so quite like the present a shadow of what the party is done over the past five years and looking ahead to the next five years ... um the the was an aching terribly surprising perhaps the no most know where the bid was ... from the level of urgency with which ... the president who discussed the need to fight corruption ... um you know which meant most Chinese are many Chinese see as having a flourish ... under under his administration and and and it's a it's it's it's it's that the reason for deep seated anger right now ... on court were to be leaders in the local leaders and well for that matter it's a president who came out very explicitly ... said ... and that's that could be the issue of corruption and abuses of power ... of our something that could be ... fatal to the tothe party ... and that could eventually topple the state if not addressed ... and in that in a speech at my belly didn't address political reforms to be saying going for anything specific ... he didn't say anything specific and perhaps the one hand that's not surprising ... of this type of work report is in ... place for you expect specifics to the Communist Party ... rather it did it offers a broad outline of of what the party wants to do ... this a president who when in in this piece ... um he'll continue to reiterate his longstanding calls ... for for for needed ... for greater intra party democracy so so democratic reforms inside the context of the Communist Party ... however he she didn't offer any of those so any specifics on what those reforms ... would look like ... um venti it appeared to be a continuation of of what he has been ... saying for the past ten years on the non democratic reform ... but as many Chinese see if they just they just haven't come to fruition ... Ryan and in in in past Betis is something as had been as Packer wraps and ... actually mentioned I was in the fact that he actually said in a oh we have to stop the corruption that that was the key ... point ... former hopeful things to do this is to go and look what he said in a speech in compared to what he was saying aam interceptor and the seventeenth party congress Trina work report that he delivered ... in two thousandseven ... aam and and he did talk about corruption at length in two thousandseven ... um but indeed you know who Mr who said ... that the party at that time debate what he called the remarkable success ... in fighting against corruption and abuse of power so Wall in two thousandseven he acknowledged that there was still a ways to go in in in fighting against corruption ... um this beach today really seem to be an acknowledgment a recognition by his administration that things are getting worse not better on the corruption fraud ... and and he explicitly said that this is a source of public anger toward the party and a summit with a friend its ability ... to govern ... I can try an obviously the world's eyes are are on the ageing right now as it ended as its transition of power ... what's it like it in the city right now on these airline security and can you give a round at the party Congress ... yet so the other is that there's this considerable amount of security particularly around ... um you know around Tiananmen Square around the quail all of the people ... um due to a high security ahead of large government or political events isn't unusual for example during the National People's Congress every year ... I would say security is is so it's a movie ... um you know as tight ... uppers Apple if you're ... around tenements where Chairman Square was closed off this morning to to visitors ... which is often the case when when there are large ... gatherings inside the grip of the people which is just adjacent to Tiananmen Square ... but elsewhere in the city I think um ... the security isn't overtly tight of course in in the subways is a bit of added security ... the really don't feel you'll feel just walking down the street ... nonetheless I think ... um on the internet and and and and elsewhere new authorities are keeping it very close I doubt ... on any potential sources of of of discontent and many potential sources of on routes ... and can sit mentioned that I this is expected to at last I mean until the fifteen says that I planned ... when the now or so before he ... got ... to the fourteenth when they will at an ounce the new leadership ... thanks Fran thanks for joining us from Beijing ... for that star am more indebted Des beest dot com I'm Deborah con for The Wall Street Journal digital network ...